To think it's ok to leave the door open for 15 minutes each weekday?

[ILoveMyGonk]

DS started secondary school this year and comes home himself on the bus. I'm at home working at my computer. Generally, when he gets home, he rings the doorbell and I go open the door for him. However, I now have a 15 minute on-camera meeting that exactly coincides with when he gets home, and obviously it gives a terrible impression if I need to leave during the meeting, even though it's only for a minute.

I want to leave the door unlocked, so he can just come in. (It also would need to be open just slightly, the way the lock works.)

DS and DH both think this is way too unsafe and refuse. DS is also refusing to carry a key, as he is afraid of losing it.

AIBU to think it's okay to leave the door open? It's broad daylight, not a terribly crime-ridden area, and only 15 minutes. We even live opposite a primary school, and it's very busy that time of day. I can even see the path leading up to the door from where I'm working, though I'm not sure I could actually get to the door in time to close it if I saw someone concerning approaching.

He can carry the key on one of those recoiling carabiners. That way it's always attached so he can't walk off and forget to put it back.

If he's worried about losing it alongside identifying information, can it be attached to his blazer or belt loop?

I don't think leaving your door ajar is the solution, what if the wind blows the door shut? Plus what a waste of warmth, the rain getting in etc. And I've never forgotten my MIL encountering a burglar in the middle of the day. And that door was unlocked but not ajar.

Tbh if this was my son I'd get the lock changed. If he's an over thinker he can't forget your husband's anxiety about this. Unlike those calling him ridiculous I totally understand why he's worried after what your DH said. A different lock or a key safe. I personally would forget to put the key back in the safe, I need mine on a carabiner attached to my work bag. If he's forgetful like me, do they make key safes where the key can stay attached? 🤣

Get a Key Safe Box fitted.

I would leave it open without much worry

No way. If anything happened. you could invalidate your house contents insurance. Get a good safe for around £20.

Locate it in a less obvious place than outside of your front door fir more better security

Sorry should say key safe.

Definitely get a keysafe. My kids lost 2 keys and I was sick of changing locks so I got a safe and placed it near the back gate by the floor (it’s not really noticeable).
that way I never needed to worry about them losing a key or being locked out.

This.

If he’s old enough to get himself to and from school, he’s old enough to take a key. What would he do if you didn’t WFH?

Like most Londoners, my door automatically locks when it shuts. We double-lock it at night. It’s no big deal. People have different doors and locking systems!

The key safe story above is extreme. Many holiday cottages have key safes without any problems. You can buy them with a loop that can attach to other places in the garden/at the rear of the house in a hidden spot if you don’t want to fix it to a wall. My kids always carried a door key with them once they started secondary school and yes, I’m sure they lost a couple but it teaches them responsibility.

This thread is bonkers, if the kid is coming home on his own he can have a key- if he loses it he will have to wait for your meetin to be over.

I don't understand why this is your problem to solve.

You are not availble during these times therefore your DH and your DS have to find a solution.

Depends entirely on where you live. DH and I do lock the house up at night but we normally don’t bother locking the door when we pop out to the shops or the school run. If we’ll be away for hours we do though. And we do try to remember to lock it at night but if we don’t, we don’t. No harm done. In this village the crime rate is pretty much limited to drunks getting picked up at the weekend or farm thefts and sheep attacks by dogs.

if I lived elsewhere I’d maybe invest in getting my son a key cut and telling him straight that he’s big enough to look after it. If he’s old enough to come home by himself he’s certainly old enough for his own key.

that said, if you can see the path and anyone approaching your door what is it you’re worried about? You’re right there, watching.

Exactly. Bit dramatic. I never lock my door when im in! Why on earth would i?!

we put an Apple tag tracker thing on my daughter keys and then a retractable keyring secured inside her bag. Not lost it yet and she is awful for forgetting/losing things. He’s got to learn some time!

Depending on how many people are in the meeting, is there any opportunity to suggest a different time for it (I know I'd be able to ask this of my immediate colleagues but not a meeting that involves the wider team).

Otherwise I second the giving him a key on a stretchy thing so it's always attached to his bag.

How long ago was this if they nicked a video recorder? Must be 30 years ago?!

i know it’s different areas etc., but we’d go out and leave our front door unlocked if we needed to. DH often falls asleep watching television with the door unlocked.

Get a keysafe , simple problem solved there like £25

Don't get a keysafe, especially cheap ones. You may as well just leave your keys in the lock.

As I said above, the ones which are police-approved (recommended) are about £65. They are an excellent solution but you do need to get a secure one.

I don’t think she’s very likely to be claiming off her house insurance for something that happens during the less than 15 minutes that we’re talking about, is she? While she’s sitting at her laptop with a view of the path to her front door. That would have to be one audacious burglar, and a very fast one to get away with anything.

That's true. Leave it under a plant pot then. I sometimes bury ours in something in our garden box - a welly, the peg bag, the box with old paint in.
Very low crime area.

You’re literally in the house… of course it’s fine. I would never have even considered that this might be an issue. And I live in London.

Live camera in the hallway or ring doorbell solves the problem. You can peek at the camera feed during meeting